Underwater sport fishing gun and harpoon



Jan. 14, 1958 J. PRoDANovlcl-l UNDERWATER SPORT FISHING GUN AND HARPooN INVENTOR. JAG/f PRODANOV/CH mmwmg am! ATRA/EYS@ Filed Aug. 17, 1954 UNDERWATER SPURT FISHING GUN AND HARPOON Jack Prodanovich, 01d San Diego, Calif.

Application August 17, 1954, Serial No. 450,487

3 Claims. (Cl. 102-48) My invention relates to the art of underwater sport fishing guns and harpoons and has particular reference to a power head for a harpoon and to a new andnovel triggering mechanism for detonating an explosive charge in the head after it strikes a lish.

in underwater fishing, a diver usually carries with him a device commonly known as a gun which is adapted to propel a harpoon or arrow by means of heavy rubber bands. These guns and arrows have taken a great many forms and have been limited to relatively small sh or relatively short distances in the neighborhood of to 7 feet in order to be effective.

Recently several power type heads have been developed for use in connection with the arrows which explode a cartridge upon contact with the fish to thereby cause a dart which is removably carried in the end of the arrow to be driven more forcefully into the fish, thus permitting the spearing of larger lish and at greater distances. Relatively large fish can be securely impaled at to 15 feet.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a particular head having a new and novel trigger mechanism which renders the power head completely safe at all times and which cannot be exploded except upon contact with a relatively solid object such as a large lish.

Other devices heretofore known have relied upon a mechanism which the diver cocks by putting suliicient load on a spring to actuate a firing pin. The triggering mechanism releases the spring upon contact with a solid object. These types of power heads are inherently dangerous because the diver carries with him at all times a device which may explode prematurely. It is well known that after an extended period of swimming a divers hands become cold and clumsy and therefore serious accidents frequently occur.

A further object of my invention is to provide a power head which is safe at all times and is cocked by the force of inertia upon shooting the arrow from the gun and which causes the cartridge to be exploded upon contact lwith a relatively large fish.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the drawings and the speciiications relative thereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a power head for an underwater arrow embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

My invention comprises essentially a dart 10 disposed in a barrel 11; an inertia firing pin 12; a trigger mechanism 13; and a cocking means 14, all of which is secured to an arrow shaft 15 by a coupling 16.

The dart 10 may assume a large variety of sizes and shapes. It is herein illustrated as being cylindrical and pointed at the forward end. An aperture 17 is formed transversely through the forward portion of the dart, which said aperture is adapted to receive a line 18. The

' is formed with a reduced internal diameter by a bushing fie line 18 may be secured to the gun (not shown) or any other desired device such as a float for the purpose of ber of reduced diameter to receive a propellent charge 22 herein illustrated as a standard .22 caliber cartridge. In view of the fact that the preferred embodiment uses a .22 caliber cartridge which is rim tired, I prefer making the bore 21 eccentric with the housing of the barrel 11.

The barrel 11 is secured to a cylindrical housing 24 by threaded engagement or any other suitable means. A breech block 25 is also disposed in the cylindrical housing 24 in threaded engagement immediately adjacent the rear end of the barrel 11. The breech block 25 is formed with an aperture 26 which is concentric with the axis of the cylindrical housing 24 and is adapted to register with` the rim of the cartridge 22. y

The end of the cylindrical housing opposite the barrel 27 .in threaded engagement therewith. The bushing 27 is formed with a cylindrical bore 28 adapted to receive in sliding engagement an actuating rod 29 which Vforms an extension of the arrow shaft 15.

The firing pin 12 comprises a relatively heavy cylindrical body having a relatively pointed end 30 which is adapted to register with the aperture 26. The firing pin is also formed with an annular groove 3l which defines a latching shoulder 32. A compression spring 34 is interposed between the inner end of rod 29 and Vthe firing' pin 12.

The cocking means 14 comprises, in this particular embodiment, a spring wire having one end 36 disposed in an aperture 37 to prevent relative movement with respect to the cylindrical housing 24. The spring Wire is also formed with a loop 38 encircling the housing 24 to prevent the end 36 from escaping entrapment in the aperture 37. The loop 38 merges into a relatively long spring arm 39 having a downwardly formed detent 40 extend- Iing through the cylindrical housing 24 and the bushing 27.

As will be noted, the rod 29 is formed with an annular precocking notch 43.

The trigger mechanism 13 comprises a ram 44 and a trigger release detent 45 joined together by a resilient member 46. The trigger mechanism 13 also includes a loop 47 which surrounds tube 11 and a portion which is slidably carried in a bearing journal 48. Thus the loop 47 and bearing 48 guide the trigger mechanism.

The detent extends obliquely through a slotted aperture 50 formed in the wall of the cylindrical housing 24 and is formed with a safety notch 51.

A lisherman first places a cartridge in the chamber 21 and screws the barrel 11 into position in the end of the housing 24 and into secure abutment against the breech block 25. The dart 10 is then placed in the bore 20. The fisherman then lightly pushes the rod 29 into the bushing 27 until the detent 40 drops into the safety notch 42. This places a slight compression on the spring 34 causing the trigger mechanism 13 to shift forward (to the left in Fig. 2) so that the notch 51 engages the shoulder defined by the aperture 50. It therefore cannot move outwardly to release the tiring pin 12.

It will be noted that the notch 42 defines a shoulder 42a which is an inclined plane, which permits forward movement of the rod 29 but restrains it against backward movement. Upon shooting the arrow out of the gun, the more rapid forward acceleration of the arrow and rod 29, relative to the entire power head assembly, during the initial movement of the elements, causes the arrow and rod 29 to be shifted to the left, relative to the en- Patented Jan. 14, 1958 tire power head assembly which shifts backwardly (to the right in Fig. 2) until the detent 40 engages the cooking notch 43, placing the desired compression on the spring Upon striking the relatively solid object such as a large fish the ram 44 pushes the trigger mechanism 13 backwardly so that the notch 51 is disengaged from the cylindrical housing 24 and the inclination of the detent 45 causes the spring member 46 to ex upwardly, thereby pulling the detent from the notch 31 and'permitting the tiring pin 12 to drive the relatively sharp end 30 forward into contact with the cartridge 22. The forward drive is caused by the energy stored in the compression spring 3 4 The explosion of the cartridge 22 drives the dart 10 o uti of the chamber 20 with suflicient force to securely impale relatively large iish.

It will be noted that the cylindrical housing 24 is formed with apertures 55 and 56, the purpose of which is to permit the expulsion of water so that the movement of the tiring pin will not be damped.

Whereas I have shown my invention in its most preferred embodiment, I do not wish to be limited to the details therein. It is obvious that a great many variations thereof can be made within the proper scope of my invention all of which should be considered the equivalent thereof. What I consider the full scope of my invention is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An arrow of the type adapted to be ejected from a gun comprising in combination, an elongated tubular means, said means forming a ring chamber for an eX- plosive charge, one end of said tubular means being adapted to receive the rear end of a dart, said end being in open communication with the ring chamber; a spring actuated tiring pin for the explosive charge slidably mounted in the tubular means; a detent normally holding said tiring pin in spaced relation from the explosive charge; means extending forwardly of the tubular means and adapted, when engaging the prey to be captured, to release said detent; a tiring pin spring; an arrow shaft; an element associated with the opposite end of the tubular means and adapted to be slid forwardly longitudinally of said tubular means, by the inertia of said shaft when said shaft is ejected from a gun, for compressing said spring suiciently to render said firing pin spring operative, said spring being interposed between the firing pin and said element; a shoulder on the element and movable with the element; and a movable detent carried by the tubular means and normally lying forwardly of said shoulder and adapted to engage the shoulder for preventing rearward movement of said element after said element has been moved forward by said arrow shaft.

2. Apparatus. as defined in claim l, characterized in that the said element comprises a rod extending into said opposite end of the tubular means.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim l, characterized to include a breech block at one end of the firing chamber, and further characterized in that the tubular means includes two longitudinally aligned and separable sections, one section including the iring chamber and the dartcarrying end, and the other section including that portion which houses the liring pin and spring.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v 49,548 Pierce Aug. 22, 1865 2,530,434 Johnson Nov. 2l, 1950 2,659,273 Troutmann Nov. 17, 1953 

